What do you give to the ladies (and sometimes gents) who help you with everything related to wedding planning? Picking out gifts for a big group can be a little difficult but it doesn’t have to be! These gifts would be perfect for your Disney-loving bridesmaids, whether you’re picking out a “will you be my bridesmaid” gift or you want to give them something special for the wedding day. The best part – these gifts are all handmade on Etsy, and I love supporting independent business owners!

]]>http://thisfairytalelife.com/gifts-for-disney-bridesmaids/feed/0http://thisfairytalelife.com/gifts-for-disney-bridesmaids/Join the Team! Now Seeking Real Disney Bride & Groom Contributors!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisFairyTaleLifeBlog/~3/6GINIwLNtZs/
http://thisfairytalelife.com/join-the-team/#respondTue, 20 Feb 2018 04:00:20 +0000http://thisfairytalelife.com/?p=14290Are you a Disney bride or groom getting married in 2018? Do you have a passion for writing and want to document your wedding planning? Do you want to get more involved with the Disney Weddings community? If the answer to all these questions is a resounding “YES” then I have an opportunity for you! […]

Are you a Disney bride or groom getting married in 2018? Do you have a passion for writing and want to document your wedding planning? Do you want to get more involved with the Disney Weddings community? If the answer to all these questions is a resounding “YES” then I have an opportunity for you!

This Fairy Tale Life is looking for a few actively planning brides and grooms to join our team as Real Disney Wedding Contributors! I’ve been part of the Disney Weddings community for over five years now and I know every Disney wedding has a beautiful and unique story behind it. If you’d like to share your story and impart your wedding wisdom to future Disney brides and grooms, I would love to have you come aboard as a contributor!

I’m looking for anyone having a Disney wedding – that includes any Disney Park, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, and even “at-home” Disney themed weddings or vow renewals – between August 2018 and December 2018 who would be excited to write about all aspects of their wedding. This could include (but certainly not limited to) your proposal story, your initial thoughts and worries about getting married at Disney, DIY projects, guest/in-laws/attendants drama, budget woes, showers or bachelor/ette parties, rehearsal dinner decisions, honeymoon plans, wedding day recap, and post-wedding thoughts and advice.

The right candidates will:

Be having a Disney wedding in 2018 (will consider early 2019).

Are under contract with your venue (exceptions could be made for Escape weddings).

Have excellent writing skills and a passion for sharing your stories and ideas.

Commit to writing at least one article a month, including at least one article post-wedding, for a total of six articles.

Be familiar with WordPress (optional but highly encouraged).

Take great photos (optional but highly encouraged).

Understand we are looking for guest contributors and this is not a paid gig … but it could lead to paid gigs in the future! And you would earn my undying love and gratitude, which has to be worth something … right?

If you want to apply, please send a writing sample to mindy@thisfairytalelife.com before February 28, 2018. The writing sample should include an introduction of yourself and your partner, and your wedding date, location, budget, and a few details. Please also share a short story (one or two paragraphs) regarding some aspect of your wedding planning. It could be your proposal story, how you chose your venue, or something interesting about your planning journey thus far. Please include “TFTL Contributor Application” in the subject line.

In a perfect world, I would love to have four contributors – one each from Walt Disney World, Disneyland, DCL/Aulani, and at-home. But I am looking forward to working with any candidates who are excited to share their planning process! Thanks, everyone!

]]>http://thisfairytalelife.com/join-the-team/feed/0http://thisfairytalelife.com/join-the-team/BLACK PANTHER Brings Action and Empowerment to the Theatershttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisFairyTaleLifeBlog/~3/DixH4JPUuvw/
http://thisfairytalelife.com/black-panther-movie-review/#respondFri, 16 Feb 2018 17:44:27 +0000http://thisfairytalelife.com/?p=24688Finally, the Black Panther movie release day has arrived! I’ve been so excited to talk about this movie with people, and I can finally do it! My short review is: It’s awesome! But keep reading if you want to know more (no spoilers, of course). Watch the trailer: About the movie: Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER […]

Finally, the Black Panther movie release day has arrived! I’ve been so excited to talk about this movie with people, and I can finally do it! My short review is: It’s awesome! But keep reading if you want to know more (no spoilers, of course).

Watch the trailer:

About the movie:Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king — and Black Panther — is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.

I went into Black Panther as I do with all Marvel movies … knowing absolutely nothing about it. And as with all Marvel movies I’ve seen so far, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The movie does a great job of setting the scene in the first couple minutes of the movie. We are introduced to Wakanda, a fictional country in Africa that has been hidden and isolated from the rest of the world, allowing them to advance their nation at an alarming rate. Yet, some traditions date back generations, such as fighting for the King’s throne.

It was a pleasure to see this brilliant cast together. I was not familiar with Chadwick Boseman (who plays T’Challa) before seeing this movie, but he was amazing. He plays the role of Black Panther with such ease, as if it were the role he was born to play. I really enjoyed watching him interact with the strong and independent Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o.

I obviously don’t need to say how important it is to finally have a black superhero as the lead in a Marvel movie. But what I wasn’t expecting with this movie was how empowered the women would be. In this isolated society, women and men are treated with equal respect (what a concept!), especially evidenced through the Dora Milaje (led by Okoye played by Danai Gurira). The Dora Milaje are a group of female bodyguards who protect the King of Wakanda. Women protecting a man? HELL YES! I am here for it.

We also were introduced to Letitia Wright to plays Shuri, T’Challa’s little sister. Shuri turns out to be a technology genius, designing and creating all kinds of weapons and gadgets for Black Panther. In my opinion, she stole every scene she was in.

I spoke earlier about fighting, and there is plenty of it. And not just superhero fantasy fighting. Like, hand-to-hand combat fighting and some scenes of strong violence. Out of all the Marvel movies I’ve seen, this is the one I would say is not safe for little kids. Older kids, depending on their tolerance level, may be okay. The movie also is long, over two hours running time (and of course you have to stay through the final credits because, duh, it’s a Marvel movie), so factor that in.

Overall I enjoyed Black Panther. It lives up to the hype – it’s smart, it’s funny, and it tells a message the world needs to hear right now more than ever.

Want more Black Panther? Watch these featurettes!

“Warriors of Wakanda” Featurette

“Good to Be King Featurette

Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER is rated PG-13 and opens in theaters everywhere on February 16th!

]]>http://thisfairytalelife.com/black-panther-movie-review/feed/0http://thisfairytalelife.com/black-panther-movie-review/Wakanda Wedding: BLACK PANTHER Poster Palettehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisFairyTaleLifeBlog/~3/fwSpQMvwQWM/
http://thisfairytalelife.com/wakanda-wedding-black-panther/#respondThu, 15 Feb 2018 06:19:30 +0000http://thisfairytalelife.com/?p=24684When I went into an early screening of Black Panther, I wasn’t expecting to come out of it with wedding inspiration. But the movie is so visually beautiful, and yes there is a bit of a love story. I thought the movie poster would make great inspiration for a wedding color palette. The poster for […]

]]>When I went into an early screening of Black Panther, I wasn’t expecting to come out of it with wedding inspiration. But the movie is so visually beautiful, and yes there is a bit of a love story. I thought the movie poster would make great inspiration for a wedding color palette.

The poster for Black Panther is very dramatic so I pulled out some dark colors – black and blues. I took the silver color from the sword and armor, and the gold from the shadow of the Black Panther logo. It’s not often I end up with a palette with two metallics!

I had a lot of fun scouring the Disney Weddings gallery to put this board together. I love the how the blue flowers and the gold decor go together. And check out that golden sunrise!

]]>http://thisfairytalelife.com/wakanda-wedding-black-panther/feed/0http://thisfairytalelife.com/wakanda-wedding-black-panther/Interviews with the Creators and Cast of BLACK PANTHERhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisFairyTaleLifeBlog/~3/S1Da099BVOo/
http://thisfairytalelife.com/interviews-cast-black-panther/#respondWed, 14 Feb 2018 17:10:08 +0000http://thisfairytalelife.com/?p=24686A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the press junket for Disney/Marvel’s newest movie, Black Panther. It’s always fun to hear from the creators and cast of Disney movies and this was no exception. There was a certain palpable energy in the room for Black Panther; it’s an important movie that is […]

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the press junket for Disney/Marvel’s newest movie, Black Panther. It’s always fun to hear from the creators and cast of Disney movies and this was no exception. There was a certain palpable energy in the room for Black Panther; it’s an important movie that is long overdue, and it was a true honor to hear the cast speak about their experience making the film. Today I’m happy to share some excerpts from these interviews with you all!

About the movie:Marvel Studios’ BLACK PANTHER follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.

Interviews with the Creators and Cast of BLACK PANTHER

ON THE MAKING OF BLACK PANTHER

KEVIN FEIGE: Ryan wrote this for the most part, you know, a year and a half ago, two years ago so things have happened in the world which makes the film seem more relevant. There are other things in the film that have been relevant for centuries, but the truth of the matter is Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and the whole Marvel bullpen created Wakanda and created T’Challa and created Black Panther and made him a smarter, more accomplished character than any of the other white characters in the mid 1960s. So they had the guts to do that in the mid 1960s. The least we can do is live up to that and allow this story to be told the way it needed to be told and not shy away from things that the Marvel founders didn’t shy away from in the height of the civil rights era.

RYAN COOGLER: I grew up loving comic books. I love not just comic books, but I love pop culture. I love toys, actions figures, you know, video games, all of that stuff. When I got older and … realized that I wanted to make movies, right, that’s how I fell in love with internationalism, and, you know, cinema that left you with something to chew on, with something to think about. But I never fell out of love with those types of films, and those types of stories. And I think the best versions of those stories, you know, do both things.

ANDY SERKIS: It was very funny ‘cause you reminded me of a story of Ryan saying to us before we were about to do our scene. Ryan came up to us and said, you know, I’ve never actually directed two white actors before. [LAUGHTER] And probably not, probably ever, it was hilarious, it was kind of hilarious, but at the same time it was just like … that’s tragic, you know. It was kind of insane and kind of like weird, but it really was, I mean it was an incredible experience working with Ryan. He is one of the most brilliant, you know, wonderful, warm, humble, incredibly clever, articulate visionary directors and just to be part of this was just, well for me, I mean I don’t know what you thought of it.

MARTIN FREEMAN: I hated it. [LAUGHTER] Of course, yes, I agree. I was joking.

ANDY SERKIS: No, it was just an incredible experience, you know, and to be part of it was and I just think this film is so important and to be able to be part of something that is so groundbreaking and yes should have been made many years ago, you know, but now is the time and now is a brilliant time because things are changing rapidly in every single aspect of filmmaking and so it should and the needle should swing right the other way because we need to really change things.

ON THE FICTIONAL AFRICAN COUNTRY OF WAKANDA

DANAI GURIRA: I think what was really fascinating and like almost very emotional for me being that I’m Zimbabwean and being that, you know, that’s something that you always kind of want, you see the power and the potential of where you’re from, but you see how skewed it’s viewed by the world and how misrepresented it is and how distorted it is or received by the world so often. So to see, this is kind of the answer to all my – it’s kind of a salve to those wounds to see this world brought to life this way and to see all the potential and power of all of the different African culturalisms and aspects of our being that was celebrated and it’s so different. It’s a birth of things that we’ve been seeing forever around the continent that we see when we’re there. We see beauty, we see power, we see potential, we see ability, we see resources, but they are never exhibited and then to put it on sort of a Marvel epic scale of exhibition it’s like, it really salves wounds in a really deep way.

MICHAEL B JORDAN: The (concept) photos and the graphic art and what not … you know it was, nothing could have prepared us for what we saw, you know. We got a little glimpse of it, but to actually see it on screen fully rendered and, you know, the completed project it was incredible and mind blowing and was really cool to look at.

ON THE STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS OF BLACK PANTHER

ANGELA BASSETT: (I’m) so pleased that this story, you know, written by Ryan, and Joe Robert Cole, and Marvel, that it supported that. In African culture, you know, they feel as if there is no king without a queen. And I think in this story, it highlights the queen, the warrior, you know, the general – the young sister, you know. So I was so proud to have my daughter and my son there last night (at the premiere), because in their faces, and in their spirit – and they were feeling themselves. And they stood taller after last night.

DANAI GURIRA: Yeah, when Ryan sat me down and talked to me about his vision, and the story, and the characters, and the women, I was just floored, you know, because you don’t actually get to hear that often. You know, you don’t actually get sat down and hear that type of a vision. And then it embodied with us being on the continent, women from the continent, but very developed, very complex. It was amazing. I mean, it was just like, this is going to – like, this is something else – like, I just want to watch it. I get to be in it? There’s so many great things I could say about how Ryan developed these women characters, and allowed us to collaborate – that I’m just – I feel really blessed about, and excited.

LETITIA WRIGHT: I think – what I love about it, as well, with how it was written is that the men are always behind the women, as well. So no one’s undermined – like, the men are like, you know, ‘You shouldn’t be in technology, and you shouldn’t be in math.’ They’re like, ‘No, go ahead.’ Like, so T’Challa is like, ‘Go ahead, Sis. This is your department. This is your domain. Like – kill it.’ And then ‘I’m gonna work with you to finalize it,’ ’cause he’s dope. But then it’s like, okay, like – ‘Just do your thing. Stay in your lane.’ And then – you know, but he’s just – that’s the mentality of the king, and that’s brilliant. So everybody’s got their own lane.

LUPITA NYONG’O: Well I would say what I love about the way this film represents women is that each and every one of us is an individual, unique, and we all have our own sense of power and our own agency and we hold our own space without being pitted against each other. And I think that’s a very, very powerful message to send to children, both male and female, this idea. I think often times in movies we fall into that trap where women, there’s very few of us and then we are against each other. There’s a competitive spirit and stuff like that and this film freezes all that. And we see women going about their business and supporting each other, even arguing with each other, you know; having different points of view, but still not being against each other and I think that’s extremely important and in so doing the fact that in this film there’s so many of us, we really get a sense of the fabric of Wakanda as a nation and we see women along side men and we see how much more effective a society can be if they allow women to explore their full potential, yeah.

RYAN COOGLER: Just to add to that, speaking of some folks that were involved with the film who aren’t here to speak for themselves, this film has involvement from brilliant women all over from start to finish, you know, as I said, kinds of runs the studio, what he does with his right and left hand and his right hand is Louie Esposito, with his left hand is Victoria Alonzo who is amazing and she was there from day one and our crew was just, you know, hired women who were the best person for the job. They weren’t hired because they were women, they were hired because they were the best for the job and that was our cinematographer Rachel Morrison, our costume designer Ruth Carter, production designer Hannah Beachler and our assistant director who was responsible for getting her team going, Lisa Satriano, and post production the film was edited by Michael Shawver and Debbie Berman who is from South Africa, and finished by Victoria Alonzo … I was incredibly blessed to have these people, to have their perspective and had their fingerprints all over it. When you saw all those frames, when you saw all that stuff, you know, that presence, over half of the society, over half the population; you know what I’m saying, it was there constantly and in full effect.

ON CHADWICK USING AN ACCENT FOR BLACK PANTHER

CHADWICK BOSEMAN: You know I think as actors – this is separate from the movie, but there is, when you’re trained you’re trained very often from a European perspective. What is considered great or classical is very often British and it’s certain writers, and I happen to come from a background that does not believe that, you know. I went to Oxford to study, but I went to Howard and we were taught to respect our writers and our classics just as much and believe that it takes the same skill level and same technique and sometimes techniques that are a little bit different to pull that off. And so I think you have to be, you have to tell the stories and be true to yourself as an artist. And in this, there’s no reason, you know, for it because there was a time period where people were asking me questions about whether or not an audience could sit through a movie with a lead character who spoke with that accent, you know. And it was not Kevin by the way, so just making sure you know that. People outside Marvel as well and so I became adamant about the fact that that is not true. That the intonations and melodies inside an African accent are just as classical as a British one or a European one and that all of the emotions and aspects of a character can be shown and expressions can be shown through that accent and we have to take this opportunity to show that, and he just wouldn’t, if he had never been conquered, if his ancestors had never been conquered, and he’s never been conquered and Wakanda is what it is, he doesn’t have to go to Oxford to study. He doesn’t have to go to Cambridge or Yale or any place to study. He actually got his education at home and he would not then assimilate a language that is the colonizer’s language in order to speak to his people. So he had to speak with an African accent.

]]>http://thisfairytalelife.com/interviews-cast-black-panther/feed/0http://thisfairytalelife.com/interviews-cast-black-panther/Blogging and Income Report – January 2018http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisFairyTaleLifeBlog/~3/hLOdlI6MCH8/
http://thisfairytalelife.com/blogging-income-report-january-2018/#commentsTue, 13 Feb 2018 07:02:15 +0000http://thisfairytalelife.com/?p=24712This post contains affiliate links. Hello! Welcome to my Blogging and Income Report for January 2018! It’s difficult for me to believe we are already halfway through the second month of the year; time is just flying by! My January was really busy (more on that later) but I’m happy to report I had solid […]

Hello! Welcome to my Blogging and Income Report for January 2018! It’s difficult for me to believe we are already halfway through the second month of the year; time is just flying by! My January was really busy (more on that later) but I’m happy to report I had solid numbers for the month.

Blogging and Income Report – January 2018

Starting with last months goals. I’ve been working on my goal setting for the year but need to put some final deadlines on it before I can say I have a solid plan. My February is turning out to be much busier than I had anticipated plus I currently have Olympic Fever which makes it tough to concentrate on work! But my goal setting calendar is in progress.

Numbers

January is historically good for me; people are coming out of their holiday slump and starting to search the internet for “Disney weddings.” My numbers are up 25% compared to December which is great!

My top referral sources for January were the usuals – Google, Pinterest, Direct traffic, Facebook, and Bing.

Other January Happenings

Monetizing

Here’s what I earned in January 2018. I list the earnings by network, and then state the specific brands/shops in parenthesis. If I didn’t make any money through a specific affiliate channel, I will leave it off the list (all those zeros could get depressing)!

(Keep in mind I’m only sharing the revenue I generate through my websites and social media accounts.)

It’s always good to see my revenue a little higher! With no sponsored posts in January, I was saved by the addition of Fuze360, which offers some affiliate ads for Disney. And Disney just happens to be my jam, so it’s a lucrative partnership so far.

Things I need to work on:

In February I need to finalize my goal outline for the year, finally get my Joy Social e-book published (it’s soooooo close to being done), and I’m looking into doing a few tweaks to my website design.

That’s it for now! Thank you for reading. Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll try my best to answer! I also would like to know if the information I’m providing is helpful or what else you would want to see/learn from an income report. Let me know how I can help you! Have a great month, everyone!

]]>http://thisfairytalelife.com/blogging-income-report-january-2018/feed/1http://thisfairytalelife.com/blogging-income-report-january-2018/Michelle and Brian’s “Happily Ever After” Disneyland Weddinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisFairyTaleLifeBlog/~3/Xt5qBkw5tXk/
http://thisfairytalelife.com/happily-ever-after-disneyland-wedding/#respondMon, 12 Feb 2018 06:31:27 +0000http://thisfairytalelife.com/?p=24690I have another beautiful real Disneyland wedding to share with you today! Michelle and Brian had a late summer wedding at my favorite venues (although I may be biased) – the Rose Court Garden and the Trillium ballroom. They added a lot of fun extras to their wedding, including inviting Mickey and Minnie to the […]

I have another beautiful real Disneyland wedding to share with you today! Michelle and Brian had a late summer wedding at my favorite venues (although I may be biased) – the Rose Court Garden and the Trillium ballroom. They added a lot of fun extras to their wedding, including inviting Mickey and Minnie to the reception, and taking photos inside Disneyland. Also, getting married in late September has it’s perks, because you get some extra Halloween decor! The new pumpkin decor in Downtown Disney made a stunning backdrop for Michelle and Brian. And pay close attention to her bouquets … they were handmade by the bride! Not only was their wedding day romantic and beautiful, but Michelle has some great advice for any couple thinking about doing a lot of DIY for their wedding.

Why did you choose a Disney wedding?
We chose Disney because of the incredible service and ease of planning. I have always been a Disney girl and it was amazing to share my love of Disney with Brian during our relationship. His first visit to the parks was in May of 2015 with my family. He then proposed in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle later that year. Having a Disney wedding was always our first choice.

How did your family/friends react to your Disney wedding?
They were really excited! No one was really surprised because I had always been obsessed with Disney.

What was your theme?
Our theme was a mix of us and “and they lived happily ever after.” We incorporated as many small details into the decor as possible. Our Fastpass escort cards had a barcode that was our dating anniversary, the date he proposed and the date we got married. The tables were all themed to attractions we went on during the Disneyland trip that we got engaged. We also incorporated Mickey and Minnie where possible because that is our Disney couple – in fact, you can see us in the parks with matching Mickey and Minnie shirts typically! Most of the wedding stationary, programs, favors and even our wedding cake had “ … and they lived happily ever after” on it.

What was your biggest challenge in planning your Disney wedding?
The biggest challenge was balancing DIY elements and having Disney do some of the décor elements for us. I was a total DIY bride. I handmade all of the personal floral – 4 bouquets, 6 boutonnieres, 2 corsages and 2 floral pieces to put on my mom’s grave during the wedding week. This involved cutting and hand melting over 900 petals that were sewn together by hand. I wanted to do the centerpieces but my husband said to just have Disney do them in order to save time and some sanity!

Disney will not set up DIY elements, so while it may be more cost effective to do some things yourself; I didn’t want to burden any of our guests too much with elaborate DIY elements on the tables. I also kept our welcome table clean with just a carriage card box and the guest book. My goal was to make it as easy as possible on everything.

Tell us about your ceremony. Did you include any Disney touches?
Our ceremony was held at 11:30 am at the Rose Court Garden and was officiated by preferred Disney vendor Pastor Norman Alexander. He was very easy to work with customizing our ceremony. We essentially took two of his templates and reworked it into something that reflected our beliefs and preferences. The Disney touches included the Walt Disney quote “To all who come to this happy place, welcome” and “you may now begin your happily ever after with a kiss” for the introduction of our first kiss as a married couple. The ceremony was beautiful. We also included a remembrance of my mom who passed during our engagement.

Describe your reception. Was it completely traditional or did you do anything unique?
Our reception was held at the Trillium Room. We had some traditional elements – first dance, father-daughter dance, mother-son dance, cake cutting and speeches from the wedding party. I did not want to do a bouquet or garter toss (I spent way too much time on those bouquets to actually want to throw one!) So I gave my bouquet to my grandparents (Noni and Papa) as a way to honor their 68 years of marriage. They were definitely touched by this and have the bouquet on their mantle. We also did not do family portraits post ceremony. I had these done with our Mickey and Minnie meet and greet. The DJ worked with the photographer to call out individual families to take pictures with us and Mickey and Minnie.

What did you splurge on? Where did you save money?
We definitely splurged on the castle photo shoot two days after the wedding and having Mickey and Minnie come to the reception. We saved money on décor by keeping things simple. I also saved quite a bit by doing my own personal floral and by making a lot of my details (ie hangers, custom button favors, signs, etc.)

What was your favorite moment of the day?
I have two favorite moments – the first look and seeing our reception before our guests. Both were so magical. Our first look was emotional and I felt so relieved in those final moments before the ceremony to have Brian by my side. Seeing the reception for the first time was beautiful and the DJ played “Beauty and the Beast” for us to dance to. All in all, it truly was the best day ever.

What would you change if you had to do it all over again?
Honestly, I don’t think there would be anything I would change. There were some slight hiccups on the day of but they were so minor that I don’t really mind them.

What advice would you give to couples that have just started planning their Disney wedding?
My biggest advice is read your BEO (Banquet Event Order) several times, print it out, and take a red pen to it to make sure that everything that you want is in writing. Also, trust the process and don’t be afraid to communicate with your planner. Instead of stressing out, email them and ask that question that is on your mind. I also suggest balancing DIY elements with the amount of time that you have. DIY can be great but give yourself plenty of time and do not try to take on so much that you inundate yourself.

]]>http://thisfairytalelife.com/happily-ever-after-disneyland-wedding/feed/0http://thisfairytalelife.com/happily-ever-after-disneyland-wedding/20 Tips for Surviving Valentine’s Day When You’re Really Depressedhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisFairyTaleLifeBlog/~3/1omroalYOP0/
http://thisfairytalelife.com/20-tips-for-surviving-valentines-day/#commentsFri, 09 Feb 2018 04:10:47 +0000http://www.budgetfairytale.com/?p=1198This post contains affiliate links. Love it or hate it, you can’t escape it … but Valentine’s Day is upon us. And some years, even if you’re married or in a good relationship, you’re just not in the mood to deal with the love and the mush and the happy. Depression on Valentine’s Day isn’t […]

Love it or hate it, you can’t escape it … but Valentine’s Day is upon us. And some years, even if you’re married or in a good relationship, you’re just not in the mood to deal with the love and the mush and the happy.

Depression on Valentine’s Day isn’t something experienced by single ladies only. It can be caused by unrealistic expectations, long distance relationships, or simply your own stupid brain being stupid. Shut up, brain!

I’m not here to tell you to stop being sad or depressed – sometimes, you just can’t help it. But as someone has spent many (many, many, many, many) Valentine’s nights all alone (either physically or mentally), I have learned it’s not the end of the world even if it feels like it at the moment! I have some suggestions to help you bide the time until the clock strikes 12:01 AM on February 15 and the universe returns to normal.

(Disclaimer: This article about being depressed on Valentine’s Day has nothing to do with my husband, who does everything he can to make me happy on Valentine’s Day and every day of the year. Just putting that out there so I don’t get the side eye while we’re eating dinner.)

20 Tips for Surviving Valentine’s Day When You’re Really Depressed

Watch your favorite movies or TV shows. One lonely Valentine’s Day I watched a couple seasons of Sex and the City. Those ladies dated some LOSERS. It made me feel better about myself.

Learn to cook a new dessert, then eat it. Have backup dessert ready in case the recipe fails.

Turn to the Internet. Did you know you could find anything and everything on the Internet? Even other people who are feeling depressed. Start with seeing who’s logged into Facebook chat. Or play around with some Snapchat filters. If that doesn’t work, the Instagram account Texts From Your Ex never fails to crack me up. If all else fails, get lost on Pinterest.

Do some journaling about your feelings. Sometimes it helps to get it all out.

Soak in a bubble bath. Light some candles and put on some soft music. Go ahead and romance yourself, if no one else will.

Make plans with someone you haven’t seen in a while. Go out to dinner and make up funny backstories about the couples sitting around you.

Give yourself a manicure and pedicure. The complicated kind with stripes and polka dots and decals.

Always remember someone, somewhere, is thinking about you and missing you.

Of course, if you’re feeling really lost and hopeless, there are places you can turn to for help. Contact a trusted friend or loved one, or you can contact depression hotlines such as Suicide Prevention Lifeline or 1-800-273-8255. Just always remember that what you’re feeling is temporary and the world needs your beautiful, lovely, amazing presence!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all my dear friends here. I wish you nothing but love and happiness on this, the fakest of holidays, and every other day of the year.

If this article helped you, please pin it!

This post was originally published in February 2014 and has been updated.

]]>http://thisfairytalelife.com/20-tips-for-surviving-valentines-day/feed/7http://thisfairytalelife.com/20-tips-for-surviving-valentines-day/Disneyland Regulars: Here’s What You Need to Know about RunDisney Races at Walt Disney Worldhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisFairyTaleLifeBlog/~3/n6y2SHUh0-U/
http://thisfairytalelife.com/rundisney-races-walt-disney-world/#respondThu, 08 Feb 2018 07:27:11 +0000http://thisfairytalelife.com/?p=24674This article is especially for my Disneyland peeps. While we are all still processing the loss of RunDisney races at The Disneyland Resort (at least for a few years), I thought it would be a great time to share what I’ve learned about running races at Walt Disney World. I was so nervous before my […]

While we are all still processing the loss of RunDisney races at The Disneyland Resort (at least for a few years), I thought it would be a great time to share what I’ve learned about running races at Walt Disney World. I was so nervous before my first race but after four years of doing races at Disneyland I was determined to get my Coast to Coast medal (and, no, I had NO CLUE they were going to discontinue RunDisney races at Disneyland the following year … I just got really lucky). But I have to say, I have really enjoyed my RunDisney experience in Walt Disney World, and now that I have three races under my running belt, I feel confident that any of you Disneyland racers could certainly switch coasts and complete some RunDisney races in Florida. So here are my tips for participating in RunDisney races at Walt Disney World … because I know you Disneyland regulars can’t just quit RunDisney.

Here’s What You Need to Know about RunDisney Races at Walt Disney World

1. Walt Disney World has lots of space. LOTS OF SPACE. If you’ve never been to Walt Disney World, then I’m not really sure how to explain the layout to you. It’s really big and everything has lots of empty space around it. This is great because the corrals, staging areas, and post-race areas are really spacious and comfortable. It’s bad because, unlike at Disneyland, you can’t walk anywhere. You have to take buses or monorails to and from the races.

2. Weather is crazy. I’ve run two race weekends at Walt Disney World. One was in April and it was hot and humid; the other was in January and it was unreasonably cold (colder than any race I’ve ever run in California). You never really know what you’re going to get, so my best suggestion is to keep an eye on the 10-day forecast and be prepared!

3. You have to wake up really early. Remember how I said you have to take transportation to the races? Yeah. So that means you have to wake up much earlier than you may be used to for a Disneyland race. For this year’s marathon, the race start time was 5:30 AM and we had to be on the bus between 3:30 AM and 4:00 AM. YES YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY. Your other option is to drive or do ride-share to the starting area and perhaps save yourself a bit of time. However, I personally recommend sticking with Disney’s transportation. There are a lot of road closures and whoever is driving you (including if you’re driving yourself) may not be aware of what’s closed and what’s not closed. Waking up in the middle of the night and waiting around for the race to start isn’t exactly fun, but it’s better than getting stuck on the roads and missing your race.

4. BUT the transportation system is great. The thought of relying on transportation (verses walking from my hotel room to the starting corrals at Disneyland) gave me major anxiety before my first WDW race. But I had nothing to worry about. The bus system for races worked really smoothly for the three races I’ve done there so far. This includes the bus transportation before and after races, and also to and from the Health and Fitness Expo (more on that later).

Buses for daaaaaaays …

5. You never leave Disney property. With Disneyland, a half marathon course took us through the two Disney parks and then dumped us out into the wild streets of Anaheim. You can decide if running through random neighborhoods and commercial complexes was a good thing or a bad thing. With Walt Disney World, you never leave Disney property (remember what I said about lots of space?) and I can say that, for me, this felt very comforting. There’s just something nice about knowing you’re not running by someone’s front yard.

6. Stretches of the course might be very boring. There were several miles of both the half marathon and the full marathon where you are just on a long, straight road surrounded by forest and wetlands. And … that’s it. So while it’s a great feeling to be on Disney property, it’s also kinda boring. So bring earbuds and a solid playlist to keep yourself entertained.

7. The Health and Fitness Expo is way better. With more space comes an easier layout for the Expo. While you do have to get yourself to the Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex (see tip #4 regarding transportation) it’s much easier to get your bib and your merch at WDW.

8. The magic is still the same. You still run through the Disney Parks, and you still see Disney characters, and you still get your medal after you finish. The logistics are different, but the magic of RunDisney is the same no matter if you’re racing at Disneyland or Walt Disney World.

If you’re nervous about trying a RunDisney race at Walt Disney World, don’t be! Yes, it’s a little different and yes, you have to adjust to a few new things. But it’s still a wonderful (albeit a slightly more expensive) experience.

]]>http://thisfairytalelife.com/rundisney-races-walt-disney-world/feed/0http://thisfairytalelife.com/rundisney-races-walt-disney-world/Review: The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner and Organizer (+ Giveaway!)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisFairyTaleLifeBlog/~3/BewjuHPje4s/
http://thisfairytalelife.com/review-budget-savvy-wedding-planner/#respondWed, 07 Feb 2018 21:10:40 +0000http://thisfairytalelife.com/?p=24654This post contains affiliate links You guys, I have some amazing news to share … one of my friends wrote a book! Jessica is the owner of the wedding blog The Budget Savvy Bride, the leading blog for brides on a budget. Her articles were a major resource for me when we were wedding planning, […]

You guys, I have some amazing news to share … one of my friends wrote a book! Jessica is the owner of the wedding blog The Budget Savvy Bride, the leading blog for brides on a budget. Her articles were a major resource for me when we were wedding planning, and now she has an amazing new resource for couples planning a wedding on a tight budget – a book!

But it’s not just a book … it’s the ultimate resource for brides and grooms planning a wedding (well, aside from my Practically Perfect Wedding Planning course, *wink*). AND it just happens to be the #1 Best-Selling wedding book on Amazon right now. (OMG, Congrats Jess!)

For the cost-conscious modern couple and fans of The Budget Savvy Bride comes The Budget Savvy Wedding Planner and Organizer―a wedding planner to help you stop splurging and start saving on your big day.

Making sure your wedding goes without a hitch is overwhelming―especially with the added pressure of staying on budget. Whether you have $10,000 or $1,000, wedding planner and author behind The Budget Savvy Bride, Jessica Bishop, helps you set a realistic budget with the organizational tools and insider tips in this wedding planner. Vowing to help you get organized and stay sane, this wedding planner helps you say “I do” on a budget that is right for you.

Planning Tools including checklists, worksheets, calendars, and other interactive tools

Insider Tips and need-to-know advice about how to navigate wedding industry traps from an experienced wedding planner

Real Budgets from real couples, plus cost breakdowns for every part of your ceremony

From the ceremony to the reception, The Budget Savvy Wedding Planner and Organizer is the only wedding planner you’ll need to have the wedding of your dreams on a reasonable budget.

Jessica covers it all, from budget to venue to wedding style to choosing vendors … there are nearly 200 pages of wedding planning helpfulness. And while the book is available on Kindle, I highly recommend getting yourself a physical copy so you can fill out the worksheets and write in your notes.

And I’m happy to announce I have a physical copy of The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner and Organizer to give away! If you’re planning a wedding, or know any friends planning a wedding, be sure to enter to win! A winner will be chosen and notified on February 14, 2018. Good luck! (Be sure to read the terms & conditions before entering).